Team up to Stanford’s challenge
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 5, 2001 9:00 p.m.
By Emily Whichard
Daily Bruin Contributor
Riding a wave of six straight wins, the No. 2 UCLA women’s
water polo team will face its first bit of turbulence this weekend
when it faces No. 1 Stanford.
The Bruins (12-2, 7-0 MPSF) have built up a 171-57 scoring
advantage against all opponents this season. They have a nine-game
winning streak at home dating back to last season and a flawless
conference record so far this season.
The Cardinal (19-0, 8-0) is ready to spoil the party. Boasting
an undefeated season of its own and two triumphs over the Bruins in
tournament play, Stanford will be ready to defend its home turf
with vigor.
“We have to play every second aggressively and with
purpose if we want to beat Stanford,” Head Coach Adam
Krikorian said.
The Bruins travel to Palo Alto today for a 7 p.m. game at Avery
Aquatic Center. The game will serve as a wake-up call for two teams
that have experienced over a month of relatively unchallenging
competition.
“Every game is a chance to improve our play,”
Krikorian said. “But you need top teams like Stanford to
really challenge your players.”
The Bruins own an 11-8 series advantage over the Cardinal, but
their 0-2 head-to-head record this season could prove harmful when
teams for the NCAA Tournament are selected in May.
Only two teams from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
conference will qualify to compete for the first-ever NCAA title
for women’s water polo. The conference champions will get an
automatic bid. The second spot belongs to the team with the best
record.
If there happened to be an upset for the MPSF title, that would
leave UCLA and Stanford vying for a single spot, and the
Cardinal’s advantage in season record will leave the Bruins
out in the cold.
“Every game is determining our shot at the title,”
junior Eleanor Murphy said.
After their most important conference matchup of the season
against Stanford, the Bruins will travel to San Jose on Saturday to
face the No. 5 Spartans.
San Jose State (12-9, 4-4) has faced the Bruins once this season
in tournament play and lost 15-4. San Jose State faces a harsh 0-8
series record against the Bruins, and UCLA looks to extend their
lead to 9-0.
The Bruins round out their season with a final matchup against
UC Irvine on April 20 before heading into the MPSF tournament in
Honolulu on April 27.
